Rio de Janeiro - Bilateral trade between Brazil and Uruguay will receive a major boost by the end of this year. The reactivation of the rail link between the two countries will allow products to be transported long distances from the capital Montevideo to the state of São Paulo, with a lower freight cost. The subject was on the agenda at a meeting last week in Rio de Janeiro between the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Patriota, and his Uruguayan counterpart, Luis Almagro.

Brasilia - Those interested in making short trips of up to three months to countries in the European Union will no longer require a visa. An agreement between the Brazilian government and the European Union has established the exemption of the document, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The measure applies to 25 countries. The agreement consists of nine articles arranged in specific subjects such as residence of the foreigner in the country and the exchange of information between authorities.

On Friday (September 28), President Dilma Rousseff and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, signed three new agreements related to science, technology and innovation in Brasilia. The agreements provide for an increase in the number of students sent to the United Kingdom through the Science without Borders program; the cooperation between the company BG E&P and the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/MCTI) and the development of scientific studies, research and projects related to oil and derivatives.

Representatives from 147 countries have expressed interest in assisting in the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup.

On Monday (September 24), FIFA announced the final figures from the registration process for volunteers interested in participating in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the preliminary draws for these two competitions. The total number of candidates reached 130,919.

7,000 volunteers are expected to work during the Confederations Cup and 15,000 are expected during the 2014 World Cup.

The number of Internet users in Brazil increased by 10 million between 2009 and 2011, representing a growth of 14.7%, according to the National Household Survey (PNAD) released on Friday (September 21) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The fastest growing durable goods were the personal computer with Internet access (39.8%), the personal computer (29.7%) and the cellphone (26.6%). The only product to see a decrease was the radio (-0.6%).

On Saturday, September 8, during a press conference held at Casa Brasil in London, Brazil announced that it will host the next two editions of the Laureus Awards. The awards are considered among the most highly regarded for athletes in the world. It is the first time that the awards ceremony will be held in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2012 edition was held last February in London.

Among the countries that make up the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), only Brazil managed to climb the global competitiveness ranking, prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and released today (September 5) by the Competitive Brazil Movement. Last year, the country occupied 53rd place on the list of the most competitive countries in the world and has now climbed to 48th position.

The Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Fernando Pimentel, and the Minister of International Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, Rodrigo Malmierca, signed a memorandum of understanding on August 30, 2012 in Havana, providing for a US$ 200 million loan to implement the More Food for Cuba program. The funds will be released in three installments – the first in 2012 and the next two in 2013 – and will serve to finance exports of Brazilian agricultural machinery and equipment.

The Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC) will establish a partnership with the Department of Commerce of the United States (DOC) to promote internship opportunities for Brazilian students completing courses from the Science Without Borders program. The partnership will also include the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM Brasil). As of today, 40 U.S. companies with branches in Brazil have already been confirmed by the ministry to be interested in participating in the project by opening internships.

Brazil's role in providing food for the world was highlighted by the German Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Ilse Aigner, during a meeting with Minister Mendes Ribeiro Filho this Monday morning (August 27). “Food security is one of the central problems facing the world today and will certainly become even more important in the coming years. Brazil plays the role of a ‘traffic light’ in international agricultural policy,” said Ilse Aigner.

Foreign direct investment (FDI), which is directed to the productive sector of the economy, reached US$ 8.421 billion in July according to figures released today (August 23) by the Central Bank of Brazil (BC).

The result exceeded the Central Bank´s projection of US$ 7 billion for the month and is the highest since December 2010, when US$ 15.37 billion were invested in Brazil. The result is also the highest recorded for the month of July since Central Bank records began in 1995. In July 2011 FDI stood at US$ 5.98 billion.